Holder for the caps of containers



April 7, 1936. LHE 2,036,351

HOLDER FOR THE CAPS OF CONTAINERS Filed Nov; 30, 1955 Pau/ f gfarMzJ/hens INVENTOR BY K 21 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOLDER FOR THE CAPS FCONTAINERS Paul leter Miilhens, Cologne, Germany Application November30, 1935, Serial No. 52,296

' 4 Claims. (01. 221-60) My invention relates to an improved holderorretainer for the caps of containers, more particularly for the screwcaps of collapsible tubes, andits principal object is to provide asimply constructed retainer which will not only prevent loss of the capor its undesired separation from the tube, but will also hold the cap ina position to prevent interference with free use of the contents of thetube.

Various forms of cap retainers have been heretofore proposed and myinvention is especially re lated to non-metallic flexible retainers,usually of rubber. Retainers of this kind heretofore employed hadcertain disadvantages among which may be mentioned the tendency to twistwhen in use, the lack of suflicient rigidity to hold the cap out of thepath of discharge from the tube and the inefiiciency of the device ifthe openings for receiving the cap and tube, respectively, were eithertoo large or too small.

Another object of my invention is to obviate these defects in flexibleretainers and I accomplish this object by providing two forms of myinvention in one of which the flexible retainer is wound about withsuitable material and in the other of which I interpose between theretainer. which may be fiat, and the breast of the container a disc madeof material which has relatively high adhesion to the retainer andrelatively slight adhesion to the material of the container, usuallymetal.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1is an elevational view of a collapsible container in open position;

the screw cap being connected to the container by one form of myimproved holder; Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the holder; Fig. 3 is asimilar view of a disc interposed between the retainer and the breastportion of the container; Fig. 4 is a similar view of a modified form ofholder in which the disc is positioned in one of the holder openings;Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a portion of a container showing themanner in which the holder of Fig. 4 is applied; Fig. 6 is a plan viewof a modified holder consisting of a rubber core wound around with afibrous strand; Figs. 7 and 8 are elevational views of parts ofcontainers illustrating the application of the holder of Fig. 6; Fig. 9is a plan view of a slightly modified holder of the kind shown in Fig. 6and Figs; 10 and 11 are elevational views of containers illustrating theapplication of the holder of Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, IO'

denotes a collapsible tube or the breast portion I I, the neck containerhaving I 2 and the threaded mouth or nipple l3 designed to be closed bythe screw cap It. The holder, shown in Fig. 2, consists of the intactintermediate web portion l5 and the oppositely disposed eyes or holes 16and H. The hole H is designed to receive the re- 5 duced part ll of thecap l4 and the hole l6 to receive the neck 12 of the container Ill. Theholder is made of flexible material, usually rubber, and hence haspractically no rigidity; the consequence is that unless preventativemeasures 10 be provided the cap tends to get into the way of thecontents issuing from the container and interfere with satisfactoryoperation. To obviate this difiiculty, I interpose between the breastportion H of the container and the adjacent part of 15 the holder aperforated disc 18 as shown in Fig.

} 3. The disc is made of a suitable material, such as smooth paper,celluloid or the like, having relatively great adhesion to the holderbut relatively slight adhesion to the container metal. As a re- 20 suitof this construction, the cap when removed from the nipple l3 may bemoved or thrown into the position indicated in Fig. l, where it willremain out of the path of the material issuing from the container, untilthe cap is positively replaced. The disc is slotted at I9 to facilitateits application to the neck l2.

In the modified construction of Figs. 4 and 5, the disc I8 is of doubleconical form and its intermediate portion is seated in the hole It ofthe holder IS. The disc is slotted at i9 The holder I5' is also providedwith the hole Il to receive a screw cap and the application of thisdevice to a container in is illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 shows a holderin the form of a loop consisting of a rubber core l5 wound about with afibrous thread 20, such as silk, cotton, linen or the like, to impart acertain degree of rigidity to the holder. Intermediate its ends theholder is provided with a clip 2| thus providing the holes or openings[6 and I! to receive the neck and cap, respectively, of a container. InFig. '7 the holder of Fig. 6 to a container Ill having a bulbous portion22 above the breast part I I and a collar 23 above the portion 2|. Theopening lfi engages the container between the collar 23 and bulbousportion 22, and the opening l'l part of the loop in which the openingl'l is formed being wholly or partly enclosed in a head 24 formed at thebase of the cap M In Fig. 8 the eye Hi engages the neck of a sifter topcan Hi below a collar 23 while the other eye 55 is applied engages thecap, that engages the screw cap M and is enclosed in a bead 24 formed atthe base of the cap.

The holder shown in Fig. 9 is much like that shown in Fig. 6 except thatthe clip 2 l is nearer one end of the loop than the other therebyproviding openings 3 and l 1 difiering in size from each other. In Fig.10 the opening I6 contains the neck I2- of the container In and theopening ll is traversed by the reduced portion II of the cap M which hasa knurled overhanging head I4 and a bottom flange N at opposite ends ofthe reduced portion I'I In Fig. 11 the holder is applied to a containerW with the opening l6 encircling the container above a bulbous portion22 and below a collar 23 and the opening l'l having therein an eye 25 onthe can M My improved retainer is applicable to a great variety ofcontainer constructions and the forms shown in the drawing are but a fewof the many with which it may be efiectively used.

I claim:-

1. As a new article of manufacture, a holder for connecting a cap to acontainer, said holder comprising a flexible loop consisting of a rubbercore and a fibrous material wound thereabout and means dividing saidloop into oppositely disposed eye portions.

2. As a new article of manuiacture, a holder for connecting a cap to acontainer, said holder comprising a rubber core, a fibrous materialwound thereabout and a clip intermediate the ends of said holder anddividing the same into two oppositely disposed eye portions.

3. In combination, a container, a removable cap therefor, a holder forconnecting said cap to said container, said holder comprising a flexiblemember having oppositely disposed openings therein to receive the capand a part of the container, and a disc interposed between the materialof said holder and said container, said disc consisting of a materialhaving relatively great adhesion to said holder and relatively slightadhesion to said container.

4. In combination, a metal container, a removable cap therefor, a holderfor connecting said cap to said container, said holder comprising astrip of rubber having oppositely disposed openings to receive the capand container neck, respectively, a slotted disc interposed between saidholder and the material of said container, said disc having relativelygreat adherence to the rubber of the holder and relatively slightadherence to the metal of the container.

PAUL PE'I'ER MiiLHENs.

